Army of Children
by avatarfreak14
Summary: Zutara month 2012. Snow. Zuko is in the Southern Water Tribe to get the approval of Katara's people on their engagement. But two thing there are making his life very difficult: Snow and the Water Tribe children. Oneshot.


**Army of Children**  
Zutara Month: Snow

Zuko hated snow.

Absolutely hated it.

He hated it with a burning and fiery passion that he thought suited him quite well. What kind of Fire Nation citizen, let alone a Fire Bender, was expected to like the cold and numbing effect of snow and ice, which was the complete opposite of their own element?

So what was the Fire Lord doing in the Southern Water Tribe? One word: Betrothal. When Zuko was younger he'd always imagined getting married to a Fire Nation Princess from another part of the Fire Nation, and when he needed to get her family's approval, he'd go to her in an extravagant palace where it was warm all the time, and succeed. That wasn't the case. No, Zuko just _had_ to go and fall in love with a Waterbender. One he used to consider a peasant, and one who just happened to live in the coldest region in the world. So instead of settling back in the awesome palace he imagined as a child, he was in the Southern Water Tribe, freezing his butt off and trying to gain the confidence of the entire Tribe so that he could marry Katara.

Which was why Zuko was curled up in his igloo/tent/hut wrapped in the heaviest and thickest blanket he'd ever seen his life, not that it did him in any good, his teeth were still chattering like there was no tomorrow.

At that moment Katara crawled in and started laughing at the sight of him.

"Real nice, Katara." Zuko scowled. "Laugh at the person who willingly made himself miserable in a freezer to make everyone else happy." Katara clapped her hand over her mouth to restrain the growing giggles. She saw his awkward position against the wall, half sitting and half lying down and moved to sit next to him. Zuko eagerly cuddled into her in his large cocoon of a blanket to share some of her warmth. Katara smiled and wrapped her arms around him.  
"It can't be that bad, Zuko." She said. Zuko shot his head to look at her in shock.  
"Not that bad! It's terrible, and it's easy for you to say! You're a Waterbender and you were raised here, of course you don't think it's cold! But I'm a Firebender, this is our worst nightmare."

Katara rolled her eyes.  
"What're you talking about? You've been in the snow before, when you tried to capture Aang in the North Pole, remember?" She argued.  
"That was different." Zuko explained. "I had a purpose, I was motivated." Katara nodded in agreement.  
"You're right. All you're doing here is complaining."  
"Exactly."  
"So let's go."  
"W-what?"  
"Let's go for a walk, come on it'll be fun. You said you're warmer when you're motivated. Sitting in here by yourself like a child isn't motivational, Zuko."  
"That's not what I meant!"

But his protesting made no difference, for in less than two minutes they were both outside, surrendering to the freezing cold as Zuko saw it. Zuko trudged despairingly along the snow as he clutched at his parka. He couldn't believe Katara had made him leave behind his blanket. He'd only been in the Southern Water Tribe for three days; he had no idea how he was supposed to survive for the duration of three weeks.

"Lighten up Zuko." Katara advised. "You'll get used to it, I promise." Zuko sighed. He'd come here to get Katara's people's approval, but with the way he was acting, they'd probably perceive him as an unappreciative and ungracious brat. He looked at his surroundings: There were people walking, playing, talking and working in the snow. If they could do it then so could he. Swallowing his own feelings of the land around him, he looked down at Katara, smiled at her, and tenderly held her hand. She smiled gratefully at him and kissed his cheek.

Fifteen minutes into their walk, a little Water Tribe boy approached them. With his goofy smile and bright blue eyes, he reminded Zuko oddly of Sokka.

"Master Katara," The boy began, looking up with big eyes at Katara. "Can we play with Fire Lord Zuko?" _We? _Zuko thought. He looked in the distance behind the little boy and sure enough there was a gaggle of kids, twenty of them or so, watching them hopefully in anticipation for the answer their little messenger received.

Why weren't these kids afraid of him? Most kids took one look at Zuko and started crying. But this kid in front of him and his little gang looked at him like he was a jewel. No, like a brand new toy.

Thankfully, before Zuko said something stupid in reply, Katara knelt down in front of the boy and answered for him.  
"Sorry Tanuq" She began. "Zuko's just arrived a few days ago and he's not used to the snow. Maybe later okay?" The boy, Tanuq, looked expectantly at Zuko, as if waiting for him to confirm what Katara had said.  
"Yeah, maybe another time." Zuko said. Tanuq nodded and ran back to his friends who all looked visibly crestfallen at the news they received.

Katara stood up and looked amusingly and Zuko.

"That was weird." Commented the Fire Lord. Katara glanced at him.  
"Why was that weird?" She inquired. Zuko threw a disbelieving look at her.  
"Two reasons Katara. Firstly, usually when kids see me, particularly my scar, they run away and never look at me again. Secondly, why on earth would they want to play with me? I'm twenty years old for crying out loud." Katara looked up solemnly at him.  
"During the war, a lot of the men and women acquired scars from defending themselves or fighting the Fire Nation. Most of the kids have at least one or two relatives that have scars worse than yours, they're used to them. As for why they want to play with you, I don't know. But I think you're about to find out."

"What makes you say that?" Zuko asked, bewildered.  
"Turn around."

Zuko did turn around. And when he did, he was met with a sight he definitely wasn't expecting. Tanuq and his gang were running across the clearing with childish glee and excitement stamped all over their faces. Then Zuko realised: They were running towards him.

"No, no, no, no, no NO!" Zuko made a run for it. He did not feel like being trampled by a mob of little kids. But he was at a disadvantage. These kids had lived here their whole lives. They knew how to run, how not to trip and what they were doing. They knew the snow. Zuko, however, was only managing to run like a turtle-duck.

Despite his struggles, Zuko willed himself to run. But in no less than a few seconds he felt one of the kids catch his foot and he face planted into the snow. Now the kids all crawled on top of him and started pelting him with snow. They laughed as Zuko struggled to free himself from the horde of children and more importantly, the snow that was getting everywhere and making him colder than he originally was.

"Katara!" he called desperately. "Help me!" This only caused to encourage the kids and increase their giggling. He looked up to see a few adults surrounding him. And Katara. All laughing.  
"Okay children," An elderly man of about seventy interrupted. "I think Fire Lord Zuko's had enough fun for one day." The youngsters all groaned and reluctantly got off of Zuko. Some adults were still giggling quietly but Katara was laughing loudly and didn't seem able to stop. Zuko grinned.  
'This is her fault.' He thought humorously. 'Let's go for a walk, she said. It'll be fun, she said.'

Without warning, Zuko launched himself from the snow and tackled Katara to the icy ground. She yelped in surprise and struggled but in two more seconds Zuko straddled her and had her pinned to ground. Tanuq and his crew cheered, probably in favour of Katara, but when Zuko listened, he heard them chanting his name!

"Success!" He cried joyously, and he leaned down to claim a quick victory kiss. Katara laughed.

"This reminds me of that time last year when I put a turtle-piranha in your toilet." She reminisced.  
"That was you!?" Zuko asked, stunned.  
"Well it was Sokka and Toph's idea but I was the only one who had access to your bathroom so I put it in there. Aang really didn't want us to do it. He said it was mean which usually I would agree with him but-"

"I couldn't walk for three days!" Zuko intruded.

"Well that's what made it so funny." Zuko shook his head in incredulity. Those three days had been one of the most painful and embarrassing days of his life, and all because of Katara! His betrothed!

She was going to pay.

Zuko turned his head to look at the little kids who were still cheering him on.  
"Hey kids!" He yelled. "Attack!" Quickly, he leapt off of Katara, who tried to escape but was covered with all twenty children before she could get one foot up.

Now it was Katara who was condemned by the children, and Zuko who had the privilege to laugh.

**X X X**

Zuko and Katara sat on the edge of a cliff, watching the sun meet the sea as a sign of the end of the day. Both of them held warm drinks in their hands, made much easier thanks to the Fire Lord.

Zuko was still smiling from the day's events. He wrapped an arm around Katara's shoulders and pulled her to him before kissing her forehead lovingly. She in turn wrapped an arm around his waist and leant her head on his shoulder.

"You know," Zuko said suddenly. "I think I'm starting to really like the snow."


End file.
